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Hawaii Beat

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Saturday, February 26, 2000

Puerto Rico’s
Cabrero takes
pro surf title

Carlos Cabrero became the first Puerto Rican to win a professional surfing tournament in Hawaii when he took first place in the Hawaiian Island Creations Pro meet at the Banzai Pipeline yesterday.

Cabrero was one of three Puerto Ricans offered a start in the Hawaiian Asahi Grand Slam of Surfing series, of which the HIC Pro was the fourth and final event. He surfed to a unanimous victory in excellent 8-10 feet conditions to take the $4,000 top prize.

Cabrero beat Kauai's Braden Dias and Andy Irons and Australian Dean Morrison in the four-man final.

Defending HIC champion Derek Ho lost to Dias and Irons in the semifinals.

Asahi Grand Slam of Surfing ratings leader Pancho Sullivan held onto the series title, despite a loss to Cabrero earlier yesterday. Second place for the series went to Dias.

Wahine remain second

The University of Hawaii women's swimming and diving team remained in second place after three days of the Western Athletic Conference Championships at San Antonio, Texas.

SMU, ranked seventh nationally, leads the six-team field with 599 points, followed by the No. 25 Wahine at 441. Rice is third with 405.50.

Yesterday, Hawaii's 200 medley relay team of Renate du Plessis, Melanie Zauder, Lori Thomas and Sarah Watchorn upset favored SMU. It was the first time the Mustangs lost the event in eight years.

Du Plessis also won the 100 butterfly and finished second in the 100 backstroke.

The Rainbow men's team is being represented at the WAC meet by five walk-on swimmers. The Hawaii varsity recently won the Pacific Collegiate Swimming Conference Championships and remained in Honolulu to train for the upcoming NCAA championships.

Wahine beat Silverswords

Desiree Duran pitched a five-inning two-hitter as the 17th-ranked University of Hawaii women's softball team spanked Chaminade, 8-0, in the final game of the Hawaii Aina Classic last night at Rainbow Wahine Stadium.

Melissa McGie gave Duran the only offensive support she needed with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning.

The game was called after the fifth inning because of an eight-run rule.

Vulcans sweep BYUH

The Hawaii-Hilo softball team roughed up BYU-Hawaii in sweeping a Pacific West Conference doubleheader, 11-0 and 5-1, yesterday at Hilo.

UHH left fielder Julee Itamura pounded out six hits on the day, raising her average to .400. The Seasiders (2-14, 1-5 PWC) collected only five hits in the two games.

Michelle Conchola (4-1) and Melanie Stranak (2-0) picked up the pitching wins for the Vulcans (9-4, 2-0 PWC).

'Bows sixth in golf

The University of Hawaii men's golf team finished sixth on the final day of the John A. Burns Intercollegiate tournament at Leilehua Golf Course.

BYU won the team title with a score of 830. UH shot 856, with Jaime Matsumura leading the way with a 7-under-par 209, good for a seventh-place tie. UNLV's Jeremy Anderson set a tournament individual record of 198.

Twisters a HIT in meet

The Level 8 team from the Hawaiian Island Twisters won its own gymnastics invitational last Saturday at Bloch Arena. It was the third consecutive meet victory for HIT, which finished with 106.40 points.

Grace Gymnastics from Washington state was second with 102.55 and Canada's Stampede City Gymnastics third with 100.875.

HIT's Amanda Yee, 11, won the vault and floor exercise en route to the individual all-around title.